July

May’s construction output figures, published today by the ONS, had few surprises and, overall, conditions in the industry remain challenging. Output fell by 4.8% from a year ago and was broadly flat month-on-month, albeit following a strong bounce back in April.

Lost amongst so much criticism of the Green Deal following the recent release of the finance figures is a simple matter of semantics. What is important to keep in mind is that the initiative is called “Green Deal & ECO” and not just “Green Deal”.

Leading up to this spending round George Osborne promised a ‘dynamic vision for the future of British Infrastructure’, a much needed boost for an industry which has lost a staggering £20 billion in annual output since the financial crisis.

The announcement today of the industrial strategy, ‘Construction 2025’ has been welcomed as a positive first step and hopefully the start of a long term transformation of both construction manufacturing and the wider construction market. This is a first-of-its-kind endeavour, borne out of considerable effort over the last six months and involving the entire supply chain under the auspices of the Strategic Forum for Construction